In 1787 Governor Fages reported that San Juan was
in a thoroughly prosperous condition; lands were fertile,
ministers faithful and zealous, and natives well disposed.
In 1800 the number of neophytes was 1046, horses and
cattle 8500, while it had the vast number of 17,000
sheep. Crops were 6300 bushels, and in 1797 the
presidios of Santa Barbara and San Diego owed San
Juan Mission over $6000 for supplies furnished.
In 1794 two large adobe granaries with tile roofs,
and forty houses for neophytes were built. In
February, 1797, work was begun on the church, the
remains of which are now to be seen. It is in
the form of a Roman cross, ninety feet wide and a
hundred and eighty feet long, and was planned by Fray
Gorgonio. It was probably the finest of all the
California Mission structures. Built of quarried
stone, with arched roof of the same material and a
lofty tower adorning its fachada, it justifies
the remark that “it could not be duplicated to-day
under $100,000.”

The consecration of the beautiful new church took
place, September 7, 1806. President Tapis was
aided by padres from many Missions, and the scene
was made gorgeous and brilliant by the presence of
Governor Arrillaga and his staff, with many soldiers
from San Diego and Santa Barbara.

The following day another mass was said and sermon
preached, and on the 9th the bones of Padre Vicente
Fuster were transferred to their final resting-place
within the altar of the new church. A solemn requiem
mass was chanted, thus adding to the solemnity of
the occasion.

The church itself originally had seven domes.
Only two now remain. In the earthquake of 1812,
when the tower fell, one of the domes was crushed,
but the others remained fairly solid and intact until
the sixties of the last century, when, with a zeal
that outran all discretion, and that the fool-killer
should have been permitted to restrain, they were
blown up with gunpowder by mistaken friends who expected
to rebuild the church with the same material, but never
did so.

This earthquake of 1812 was felt almost the whole
length of the Mission chain, and it did much damage.
It occurred on Sunday morning December 8. At
San Juan a number of neophytes were at morning mass;
the day had opened with intense sultriness and heaviness;
the air was hot and seemed charged with electricity.
Suddenly a shock was felt. All were alarmed,
but, devoted to his high office, the padre began again
the solemn words, when, suddenly, the second shock
came and sent the great tower crashing down upon one
of the domes or vaults, and in a moment the whole mass
of masonry came down upon the congregation. Thirty-nine
were buried in the next two days, and four were taken
out of the ruins later. The officiating priest
escaped, as by a miracle, through the sacristy.